Outside the volcano’s crater stood a young man and a girl.
The young man was Ming Tian, and the girl was Xu Ying.
Though they joined the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable’s sect later than Hei Suo, they were far more favoured by their master.
This made Hei Suo extremely uncomfortable.
Even so, he didn’t dare show his anger.
Facing these two, he could only muster a reluctant smile.
Ming Tian possessed peerless talent.
Xu Ying had a special gift.
These were the kinds of people Heavenly Venerables cherished most.
The Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable had many disciples, but most were only nominal, like Hei Suo, Wang Feng, and Hei Suo’s other senior brother and sister.
But Ming Tian and Xu Ying were qualified to become his direct disciples, sparking envy that made Hei Suo tremble.
…
Ling Xiao was unaware of what was happening in the Volcano Palace.
He was fully immersed in cultivation.
The cold air of the Guanghan Palace continuously entered his body, benefiting him greatly. This cold air was even more effective at transforming his body than the Qianyuan Bone-Changing Pill.
However, the energy required was immense. If the energy needed to advance from the fourth to the fifth layer was divided into ten stages, Ling Xiao had only just reached the peak of the fourth layer, entering the first stage.
An hour of cultivation had filled one stage’s worth of energy.
But the further he progressed, the more energy was needed. While the rate of filling remained constant, the time required to complete each stage grew longer.
Still, Ling Xiao was very satisfied with this pace.
Relying solely on pills, even a hundred Qianyuan Bone-Changing Pills might not fill a single stage’s energy.
No wonder this place was considered a forbidden area of the Yuehua Sect, accessible only with permission. Such a prime cultivation site likely had finite energy, so it had to be used sparingly, reserved for geniuses.
Being familiar with formations, Ling Xiao had also examined the Guanghan Palace’s formation. It was a unique Spirit-Gathering Grand Array, roughly at the low-grade yellow level.
Even so, it could continuously convert the natural forces of heaven and earth into spiritual energy, then trap it within the Guanghan Palace using chilling power.
Ling Xiao thought he could modify this Spirit-Gathering Grand Array into a smaller array, embedding it into an accessory to wear. That way, his body could constantly absorb fresh spiritual energy at all times.
Unknowingly, a full day had passed, and Ling Xiao felt his strength steadily accumulating and rising.
The energy needed to move from the fourth to the fifth layer had reached the fifth stage.
At this rate, a few more sessions would likely allow him to fully advance to the fifth layer.
The thought of the fifth layer fully forging his body into a Mortal Body excited him slightly.
His soul force and inner force had already met the Mortal Realm’s requirements; only his body still fell short.
If he wanted, he could break through to the Mortal Realm using his soul potential alone.
He could also do so with his inner force potential.
But he didn’t. This was the final step, and he refused to become a lopsided ascendant.
Waiting a bit for his body to catch up, achieving a comprehensive breakthrough in all three aspects, would solidify his foundation. Once he broke through to the Mortal Realm, his strength would far surpass that of ordinary Mortal Realm martial artists.
Besides, his body wasn’t far behind.
Moonlight hung in the sky.
Night had fallen.
The Guanghan Palace was enveloped in a silvery-white glow.
Curiously, at night, the palace’s absorption of moonlight energy was even more effective than during the day.
The Yuehua Sect was likely named for this reason.
Ling Xiao calmed his mind, setting aside distractions, and focused on cultivation. His entire being immersed in the moonlight, as if wrapped and bathed in a strange power, feeling extraordinarily comfortable.
In the dead of night, unusual events often occur.
The three flaws in the Guanghan Palace’s formation were surely known to someone.
Perhaps the Formation Hall had deliberately left them as a favour to others.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!
Three figures slipped through the three flaws into the Guanghan Palace, converging at the energy node where Ling Xiao was cultivating.
By now, the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable was deep in cultivation, leaving only two Mortal Realm first-level guards at the gate.
How could they possibly notice such an anomaly?
“Heh, well done, Junior Brother Wang. I never expected you to know about these flaws. That cold-faced Guanghan Heavenly Venerable is too arrogant, refusing to give our master any face.”
The speaker was a woman. If Ling Xiao opened his eyes, he’d easily recognise her as Xu Ying.
The “Junior Brother Wang” she mentioned was Wang Feng, recently promoted to the inner sect.
The third person was clearly a Formation Hall disciple, also around the first level of the Mortal Realm.
Finding these flaws required someone skilled in formations.
“You two cultivate here, but you must leave before dawn. If the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable discovers you, you’re dead.”
The Formation Hall disciple gave instructions, then left, handing Wang Feng and Xu Ying each a wooden token engraved with patterns to help them exit through the flaws more easily.
“Senior Sister, let’s cultivate quickly. Use your dual cultivation method. This opportunity cost a thousand low-grade spirit stones; we can’t waste it,” Wang Feng urged eagerly.
“What’s the rush? Our clan’s dual cultivation method requires physical intimacy. We haven’t built any rapport yet. Let’s cultivate separately for now. In an hour, once we’re in the mood, it won’t be too late to dual cultivate.”
Xu Ying’s eyes flashed with disgust.
If she could choose a dual cultivation partner, she’d pick Ming Tian.
But Ming Tian was wholly focused on cultivation, indifferent to everything else.
Xu Ying, a stunning beauty, couldn’t sway him. She’d offered to dual cultivate with him multiple times, only to be flatly rejected.
Did he think her talent was lacking?
Damn Ming Tian, arrogant jerk!
Xu Ying sighed helplessly.
Glancing at Wang Feng, already in cultivation, she gently shed her outer garments to better absorb the cold air.
An hour later, Wang Feng opened his eyes. Seeing the hazy, delicate figure in the cold air, he felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen.
“Gulp~~”
He swallowed hard and lunged forward recklessly.
At that moment, the chaotic fluctuations in the aura disturbed Ling Xiao, who was cultivating.
Though immersed in cultivation, he had released a trace of true essence to monitor his surroundings.
When the nearby aura became disordered, it signalled something was amiss.
